CRRI to inspect Gurupriya Bridge

Malkangiri: A 7-member team of the CSIR-Central Road Research Institute(CRRI) from Delhi arrived in Odisha today for a safety inspection of the Gurupriya Bridge that will connect the cut-off areas of Naxal-infested Malkangiri district.

“For 3 days we will check the overall construction quality as well the safety aspect. We will also check what are the precautions taken and the materials used,” said CRRI team leader, G K Sahoo.

The members of CRRI will inspect the bridge for 3 days and submit a final report to the State government. Subsequently, preparations for inauguration of the bridge will begin, informed Odisha Works Department Secretary, Nalini Kanta Pradhan.

“The trial has been done. If any defect is detected during the inspection, we will rectify it and then it will be opened to public,” added Pradhan.

The 910-meter-long bridge is expected to resolve the long-standing problems of communication for around 30,000 people of nearly 150 villages in the cut-off regions in and around Kalimela and Chitrakonda reservoirs.

Several mishaps have delayed the completion of the bridge which is also being opposed by the Maoists. Amid such threats, security has been tightened along the bridge with round-the-clock surveillance through CCTV cameras.

The foundation stone for the bridge was first laid in 1982 by the then Chief Minister, JB Patnaik and again by Naveen Patnaik in 2000.